Jeanette Popiel climbed into the front seat of a Tesla Model S for a test drive Sunday afternoon at the Channel Islands Harbor.

Popiel lives in Simi Valley but commutes to work in Pasadena and has been mulling over a transition from her Ford Fiesta to an electric vehicle.

She said she doesn't want to let go of the gas mileage.

The test drive, which was part of an all electric and hybrid vehicle car show put on by the Los Padres chapter of the Sierra Club and the Community Environmental Council, a Santa Barbara based nonprofit, may have convinced Popiel to make the leap.

During the drive, Popiel remarked about the quiet interior of the vehicle and its near instant acceleration from 0 to 45 mph.

The Tesla was one of four electric vehicles available to test drive on Sunday, which included a BMW i3, a BMW i8 and a Ford Focus Electric. More than 30 people signed up for a test drive.

The Model S was just one of dozens of electric vehicles on display in the parking lot of the West Channel Park, which saw many people come and go as they walked to and from the farmers market nearby.

Chevrolet Volts, Nissan Leafs, various models of Teslas and a handful of other fully electric and hybrid vehicles were displayed by their owners who answered visitors' questions.

"We love electric vehicles," said the owner of a black Volt whose vehicle was on display.

"We're trying to spread the word about their efficiency, utility and capability. People have had a lot of questions."

"I've been answering a lot of questions about battery age," said another Volt owner.

"People have been concerned that batteries won't last; you'll have to replace them. We've been discussing how there's a Volt out there with 400,000 miles on it."

Cameron Gray, a transportation and climate specialist with the Community Environmental Council, said there has been an increased interest in electric and hybrid vehicles in recent months.

According to Gray, the central coast, which includes Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, have more than 8,200 electric vehicles with over 60 being added every month on average.

"A lot of people in the current political context are wondering what they can do to take action and improve their community while protecting the environment," Gray said.

"Transitioning into a cleaner electric vehicle is one of the top things that a person can do to reduce air pollution and emissions that are contributing to things like climate change."